An alleged gang member was indicted on multiple charges for attacking two men in the street outside a bar on Long Island, leaving both men blinded with permanent injuries to their eyes, according to the district attorney.
Gensel Soler Avila was indicted Tuesday on four counts each of first- and second-degree assault as well as weapon possession, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said. The charges stem from attacks on the night of Dec. 4 in Huntington Station.
Avila, 21, got into a fight with another man at a bar, and when the other man tried to run off, Avila chased him into the intersection of Pulaski Road and New York Avenue, an investigation found. After knocking the victim to the ground, Avila allegedly beat his face and body with a sharp object, stabbing him repeatedly, including in the eye.
The victim was left bleeding heavily and eventually passed out in the middle of the street. He was still unconscious when police found him later on, according to the investigation.
While Avila, a reputed member of the MS-13 gang, was walking away from the first victim, he attacked another man, the DA said. He punched the man repeatedly while holding a sharp object, and caused a stab wound from the victim's forehead down to his eye, leading it to bleed heavily.
Both victims were taken to Huntington Hospital and later transferred to North Shore University Hospital to get specialized surgery. Each man suffered permanent loss of vision in one of their eyes in addition to other injuries, including cuts to the face and chest, Tierney said. The first victim needed a prosthetic skull to be inserted and more than 50 staples to his head.
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These alleged brutal acts which resulted in the permanent loss of vision for the victims, are a stark reminder of the senseless violence that torments our communities,” said District Attorney Tierney. “The allegations against this individual, including that he is an MS-13 gang member, are deeply troubling."
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Avila was arraigned and held on $1 million bond. He is due back in court on July 24. Avila is being represented by attorney Joseph Hanshe.
